The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatuses for optical switching of networks in multi-node computer systems using optical interconnects to enable packet routing, and by using optical switching on these interconnects.
Fast networks are essential in improving the performance of high performance computing systems. The use of optical interconnects is therefore necessary by virtue of their inherent high bandwidth. Existing high performance computing systems such as Blue Gene/L and Blue Gene/P systems available from International Business Machines Corporation utilizes buffering of packets (in memory) at every node and routing on every node with electrical switching of the networks. In those embodiments, packets are routed along hops of a route or path and stored in every node, routed and injected again into the network.
Simply using optical interconnects to replace electrical interconnects would require electrical to optical conversion at each node.
It would be desirable to provide an optical switching system that eliminates the necessity of O-E-O (optical-electrical-optical) conversion and buffering at each node of the network.